Finish for staple glass fibers and yarns manufactured thereof



United States Patent Qfifice Patented Dec. 41, 1962 3, l66,383 lFEhllSHFUR STAPLE GLASS FIBERS AND YARNS hlAh-JUFAQTURED THEREQF AlfredMarzocchi, Pawtnchet, RR, and Gerald E. Rammel, North Attleboro, andtClarenc-e W. (Charon, South Attlehoro, Masa, assignors to(havens-(Corning lFiberglas Corporation, a corporation of Delaware NoDrawing. Filed Feb. 14, 1957, Ser. No. d ithllfi'd 7 Claims. (til. zsssThis invention is addressed to the manufacture of yarns formed of stapleglass fibers and more particularly to a new and improved finish forapplication to staple glass fibers and yarns formed thereof.

In the manufacture of fabrics of glass fibers, such as textile fabricsformed of strands, yarns, threads and the like, it is important toprovide a coating which serves as a finish on the glass fiber surfacesto provide abrasion resistance and fiexural strength while at the sametime imparting an attractive appearance, colorability, hand, feel, andgood draping qualities to the glass fibers and fabrics formed thereof.Various materials have, to the present, been formulated into finishesapplied to strands and yarns formed to continuous glass fibers toimprove bond and processing characteristics from the standpoint of handand feel, color retention characteristics, abrasion resistance, flexuralstrength, and the like. Very often these finishing compositions can beemployed in the treatment of the glass fibers in forming to replace theusual size applied to the glass fiber surfaces. More often, they areapplied to the glass fibers after sizing or after the size originallyapplied has been removed as by means of a Wash or a heat cleaningprocess.

The characteristics demanded of a finish for continuous or textilefibers of glass differ somewhat from the properties which are importantin the treatment of staple glass fibers in the formation of yarns andfabrics and the like. In staple glass fiber systems, where thediscontinuous glass fibers are gathered into an endless sliver which isdrafted lengthwise to achieve the desired interfelting and integrity foryarn formation, it is desirable to apply a composition onto the glassfiber surfaces that will permit the desired amount of relative endwisemovement between the fibers in drafting to form the warn but which will,at the same time, protect the glass fiber surfaces against deteriorationby mutual abrasion, and which will impart sufficient drag to militateagainst separation of the sliver or uncontrolled dilution of theconcentration of fibers in any cross section of the yarn that is formedduring drafting. In addition, it is desirable that the compositionapplied to the glass fiber surfaces in yarn formation impart sufiicientbonding between the fibers to provide a desired mass integrity forholding the fibers together in the warn but without conflicting with theability to draft the endless sliver in yarn formation.

These desirable characteristics of balance between lubricity and bondingin yarn formation must be compatible with the ability of the compositionapplied to the glass fiber surfaces to impart a desirable finish to theglass fibers and yarns while bonding the fibers in the twisted or pliedyarns to minimize fuzziness and to impart integrity to the fibers in theyarn to maximize strength while imparting good hand, feel, colorretention and wash-fastness characteristics.

The materials which, to the present, have appeared as the likelycandidates for sizing and finishing staple glass fibers in the draftingof the slivers and in the formation of twisted and plied yarns have beenthe bodied oils, as represented by polymerized linseed oil and the like.However, these materials are difficult to control from the standpoint ofthe body and cure and, in general,

the cure is so slow as to introduce further complications into theprocessing steps. Still further, the bodied oils have been found to besomewhat insufi icient from the standpoint of strength and abrasionresistance in the yarns that are formed.

It is an object of this invention to produce yarns of staple glassfibers having improved processing and performance characteristics, andit is a related object to provide a new and improved composition for usein the finishing of staple glass fibers.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide atreating composition for use in application to staple glass fiberspreferably after the fibers have been formed into an endless sliver butprior to drafting of the sliver to impart the desired balance betweenlubricity and bonding and to improve the processing characteristics ofthe sliver in yarn formation; which holds the fibrous elements togetherin the silver and imparts a desired drag with respect to the relativeendwise movements between the fibers while still permitting an amount ofrelative movement for drafting, twistin and plying the fibers in yarnformation; which protects the glass fibers as a size against destructionby mutual abrasion during relative movements of the glass fibers andfurther protects the glass fibers as a finish against destruction byabrasion of the finished yarn and fabric thereby to impart a desirabledegree of abrasion resistance to the textile fabric formed of the staplefibers; which is capable of rapid and controlled advancement toward curefor holding the fibers together in the formed yarn to minimize fuzzinessor separation of the fibers in the yarn and in the fabric formedthereof; which is capable also of functioning as a finish on the glassfiber yarns and fabrics to impart good color-ability and color retentionunder the condi tions to which the fibers will be exposed in use, toimpart good band and feel, good softness and draping characteristics,and to impart an attractive appearance and life to the fabric that isformed of the treated yarns.

In accordance with the practice of this invention, the desiredimprovement in a treating composition embodying the characteristics of asize and of a finish for use as a single treating composition for stapleglass fibers in the formation of twisted and plied yarns and fabricsformed thereof can be accomplished by the formulation of a compositionwhich contains a curable, oil modified resinous material in anintermediate stage of polymeric growth. As a resin forming material in abodied and intermediate stage of polymeric growth, it is preferred tomake use of an oil modified alkyd resin such as is formed bycondensation reaction of a polybasic acid with a polyhydric alcohol butit is preferred to make use of the condensation polymerization productof a dibasic acid With a dihydric alcohol.

The dibasic acid may be selected of pythalic acid sebacic acid, maleicacid or fumaric acid, and the dihydric alcohol can be selected ofglycol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol and thelike. When, as is preferred, the composition of the alkyd or polyesterresin is formed of saturated dibasic acids and dihydric alcohols, curewill occur chiefly through the oil used to modify the alkyd or polyesterresin. For this purpose, it is desirable to make use of an oilcontaining unsaturated ethylenic groups as represented by linseed oil,soybean oil, China-wood oil, isoline, perilla oil, oiticia oil, and thelike. Representative of the oil modified alkyd or polyester resins whichcan be employed in the practice of this invention are such materials asare marketed by Archer-Daniels Midland Company under the tradenameAroplaz 1400 or Aroplaz 1271 which are glycol-phthalic acid or anhydrideresins modified with soybean, linseed or cocoanut oil. Epoxy resins,prefer- 53 ably similarly modified with oils and plasticizers, may beused.

The resinous component is not soluble in water and is thereforeincorporated preferably as an emulsified phase in water in formulationof the treating composition. It will be understood, however, thatsolvent solutions of the oil modified resinous material may be employed.For application onto the staple glass fibers to provide the combinationof a size and finish, it is desirable to formulate the treatingcomposition with an amount of resin ranging from 4-25 percent by weight.

Use can be made of various surface active agents for emulsification andfor producing a stable emulsion or dispersion of the oil modifiedresinous material in an aqueous system. For this purpose, use may bemade of such surface active agents as aryl alkyl polyether alcohols,fatty acid esters of polyhydric alcohols, or other comparableemulsifying agents, preferably of the nonionic type. When employed, thesurface active agent or emulsifying agent may be employed in aconcentration within the range of 0.1-1.0 percent by weight.

The treating composition can be further modified by the addition of ahumectant as represented by sorbitan mono-oleate, sorbitanmono-palmitate, sorbitan monostearate, or the polyoxyethylenederivatives thereof, as well as other equivalent humectants. Whenemployed, the humectant may be present in the treating composition in anamount within the range of 0.1-2.0 percent by weight. Humectantsincluding ethylene oxide condensates such as carbowaxes, combinations ofethylene and propylene oxide condensates such as the Ucon oils, andethylene oxide condensates of amides, amines and other active hydrogencompounds are used.

Further to improve the performance characteristics and to avoid theinterference of static in yarn and fabric formation, it is desirable toformulate the treating composition With an anti-static agent asrepresented by cationic amine or amide compounds preferably in the formof fatty acid amines or amides, as represented by the material marketedby Nopco Chemical Company under the tradename Konrite. The anti-staticagents, when employed in the treating composition, can be present in anamount within the range of 0.1-2.0 percent by weight. Anti-static agentswhich are used also include ethylene oxide condensates and modified ureaand epoxy resins containing quaternary ammonium groups.

The following formulations are representative of treating compositionswhich can be employed in the practice of this invention:

Example 1 10.0 percent by weight of a soybean oil modified phthalicacid-glycol resin 1.0 percent by weight of a cationic amide anti-staticagent (Konrite A anti-static oil-marketed by Nopco Chemical Company) 0.5percent by weight of an emulsifying agent (Triton 0.5 percent by weightsorbitan mono-oleate 88.0 percent by weight Water Example 2 20.0 percentby Weight oil modified alkyd resin (Aroplaz 1400-Archer-Daniels MidlandCompany) 3.0 percent by Weight fatty acid ester of polyhydric alcoholemulsifying agent 77.0 percent by weight water Example 3 5.0 percent byweight oil modified alkyd resin 0.5 percent by weight anionicemulsifying agent 3.0 percent by weight anti-static agent 91.5 percentby weight water Example 4 10.0 percent by weight oil modified alkydresin (Aroplaz l27lArcher-Daniels Midland Company) 1.0 percent by weightanti-static oil (Konrite A) 0.5 percent by weight aryl alkyl polyhydricalcohol (Triton X-) 0.5 percent by weight sorbitan mono-palmitate 88.0percent by weight water The materials may be incorporated byconventional procedures in the manufacture of the aqueous emulsion toform a stable treating composition. Application may be made to the glassfibers as they are rained down from above for collection onto a rotatingdrum to form the sliver or else the treating composition may be appliedto the sliver prior to drafting as by the process described in thecopending application Serial No. 344,362, filed on March 24, 1953, nowUS. Patent No. 2,780,909.

The drawn slivers should be air dried prior to twisting or plying toform yarns. After yarn formation, the resinous component of the sizecomposition should be advanced to a cured stage by heating as to atemperature within the range of 250-400 F. for a time sufficient toadvance the oil modified resin to the cured stage. Lower temperaturescan be used and when a catalyst is employed, air curing may be utilized.

it will be understood that modifications may be made with respect to thematerials, their formulation and method of application without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, especially as defined in the followingclaims.

We claim:

1. A yarn comprising staple glass fibers and a coating on the glassfiber surfaces embodying a resinous filmforming component consistingessentially of an unsaturated oil modified alkyd resin and containing anemulsifying agent and in which the materials are present in the ratio of4-25 parts by weight of the alkyd resin to 0.1 to 1.0 part by weight ofthe emulsifying agent.

2. A glass fiber yarn as claimed in claim 1 in which the unsaturated oilmodified alkyd resin is formed by the condensation reaction of adiabasic alcohol with a di basic acid.

3. A glass fiber yarn comprising staple glass fibers and a sizecomposition on the glass fiber surfaces comprising an aqueous system inwhich the resinous film-forming component consists essentially of anunsaturated oil modified alkyd resin present in an amount Within therange of 4-25 percent by weight of the size composition and which,contains an emulsifying agent present in an amount within the range of0.1 to 1.0 percent by weight of the size composition, and an anti-staticagent present in an amount within the range of 0.1 to 1.0 percent byweight.

4. A yarn comprising staple glass fibers and a coating on the glassfiber surfaces the resinous component of which consists essentially ofan oil modifying alkyd resin and which contains an emulsifying agent, ananti-static agent and a humectant in which the materials are present inthe ratio of 4-25 parts by weight of the alkyd resin, 0.1 to 1.0 part byweight of the emulsifying agent, 0.1 to 1.0 part by weight of theanti-static agent and 0.1 to 1.0 of the humectant.

5. A glass fiber yarn as claimed in claim 4 in which the anti-staticagent is an oil amide.

6. A glass fiber yarn comprising staple glass fibers and a sizecomposition on the glass fiber surfaces comprising an aqueous system inwhich the resinous filmforrning component consists essentially of anunsaturated oil modified alkyd resin present in an amount within therange of 4-25 percent by weight of the size composition and whichcontains an emulsifying agent present in an amount within the range of0.1 to 1.0 percent by Weight of the size composition and a humectantpresent in an amount within the range of 0.1 to 1.0 percent by weight ofthe size composition.

7. A glass fiber yarn as claimed in claim 4 in which the humectant is asorbitan ester of a fatty acid.

References (Jited in the file of this patent 6 Roesch June 17, 1941Spanagel July 7, 1942 Biefeld Jan. 15, 1946 Keyes Apr. 18, 1950 GriffinNov. 9, 1954 Biefeld July 5, 1955 Biefeld et a1 Feb. 12, 1957 DrummondJune 18, 1957 Marzocchi et a1 Nov. 29, 1960

1. A YARN COMPRISING STAPLE GLASS FIBERS AND A COATING ON THE GLASSFIBER SURFACES EMBODYING A RESINOUS FILMFORMING COMPONENT CONSISTINGESSENTIALLY OF AN UNSATURATED OIL MODIFIED ALKYD RESIN AND CONTAINING ANEMULSIFYING AGENT AND IN WHICH TH MATERIALS ARE PRESENT IN THE RATIO OF4-25 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF THE ALKYD RESIN TO 0.1 TO 1.0 PART BY WEIGHT OFTHE EMUSIFYING AGENT.